Sphalerite: The primary ore of zinc and a collector's gem. Sphalerite The primary ore of zinc and a gemstone with a "fire" that exceeds diamond. Sphalerite with galena and chalcopyrite: A typical mineral association of sphalerite with galena and chalcopyrite. From the Huaron Mine of Peru. Specimen is about 4.3 x 3.2 x 1.8 centimeters in size. Specimen and photo by Arkenstone / . What is Sphalerite? Sphalerite is a zinc sulfide mineral with a chemical composition of (Zn,Fe)S. It is found in metamorphic , igneous , and sedimentary rocks in many parts of the world. Sphalerite is the most commonly encountered zinc mineral and the world's most important ore of zinc . Dozens of countries have mines that produce sphalerite. Recent top producers include Australia, Bolivia, Canada, China, India, Ireland, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Peru, and the United States. In the United States, sphalerite is produced in Alaska, Idaho, Missouri, and Tennessee.

[1] The name sphalerite is from the Greek word "sphaleros" which means deceiving or treacherous. This name is in response to the many different appearances of sphalerite and because it can be challenging to identify in hand specimens. Names for sphalerite used in the past or by miners include "zinc blende," "blackjack," "steel jack," and "rosin jack." Geologic Occurrence Many minable deposits of sphalerite are found where hydrothermal activity or contact metamorphism has brought hot, acidic, zinc-bearing fluids in contact with carbonate rocks. There, sphalerite can be deposited in veins, fractures, and cavities, or it can form as mineralizations or replacements of its host rocks . In these deposits, sphalerite is frequently associated with galena , dolomite , calcite , chalcopyrite , pyrite , marcasite , and pyrrhotite . When weathered, the zinc often forms nearby occurrences of smithsonite or hemimorphite. Sphalerite on dolomite: Crystals of sphalerite on dolomite with minor amounts of chalcopyrite. Specimen from the Joplin Field, Tri-State District of Missouri, USA.

Specimen is about 6.5 x 4.5 x 3.5 centimeters. Specimen and photo by Arkenstone / . Chemical Composition The chemical formula of sphalerite is (Zn,Fe)S. It is a zinc sulfide containing variable amounts of iron that substitutes for zinc in the mineral lattice. The iron content is normally less than 25% by weight. The amount of iron substitution that occurs depends upon iron availability and temperature, with higher temperatures favoring higher iron content. Sphalerite often contains trace to minor amounts of cadmium, indium, germanium, or gallium. These rare elements are valuable and when abundant enough can be recovered as profitable byproducts. Minor amounts of manganese and arsenic can also be present in sphalerite. Sphalerite crystals: Gem-quality crystals of yellow sphalerite from the Balmat-Edwards Zinc District of New York. Specimen is about 2.75 x 1.75 x 1.5 centimeters in size. Specimen and photo by Arkenstone / . Sphalerite: Sphalerite with dolomite from Gilman, Colorado. Specimen is approximately 5 centimeters across.

Physical Properties The appearance and properties of sphalerite are variable. It occurs in a variety of colors, and its luster ranges from nonmetallic to submetallic and resinous to adamantine. Occasionally it will be transparent with a vitreous luster. Sphalerite's streak is white to yellowish brown and sometimes is accompanied by a distinct odor of sulfur . Occasionally it streaks reddish brown. One of the most distinctive properties of sphalerite is its cleavage. It has six directions of perfect cleavage with faces that exhibit a resinous to adamantine luster. Specimens that display this distinctive cleavage are easy to identify. Unfortunately, many specimens have such a fine grain size that the cleavage is difficult to observe. Because sphalerite often forms in veins and cavities, excellent crystals are relatively common. Sphalerite is a member of the isometric crystal system, and cubes, octahedrons, tetrahedrons, and dodecahedrons are all encountered. The best way to learn about minerals is to study with a collection of small specimens that you can handle, examine, and observe their properties. Inexpensive mineral collections are available in the Geology.com Store .

Physical Properties of Sphalerite [1] Zinc : Amy C. Tolcin, U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries, February 2014. [2] Zinc : Amy C. Tolcin, U.S. Geological Survey, 2011 Minerals Yearbook, February 2012. Sphalerite as a Gemstone? Although sphalerite has a hardness of just 3.5 to 4 on the Mohs scale and is not suitable for most jewelry use, specimens with excellent clarity are sometimes cut into gemstones for collectors. Why? Sphalerite has a dispersion that exceeds that of all of the popular gems and is three times higher than the dispersion of diamond . Dispersion is the ability of a material to separate white light into the colors of the spectrum as it passes through the material. Diamond is well known for its exceptional "fire" - flashes of color as the gem is moved under a source of light. These are caused by its high dispersion of 0.044. Common natural gems that have a dispersion higher than diamond are sphene at 0.051 and demantoid garnet at 0.057.

Sphalerite has an incredible dispersion of 0.156. The only things that hold specimens of sphalerite back from an incredible display of brilliant "fire" are their less-than-excellent clarity and their obvious body color. Sphalerite is a difficult stone to cut and polish. It is soft and it has cleavage. Weaknesses in the stone or minor accidents during the cutting or polishing process can easily ruin a stone. Before deciding to cut a transparent specimen of sphalerite into a gemstone, its value as a mineral specimen should be determined. If this is not done, the owner could make a costly mistake. Sphalerite blende: The mineral sphalerite information and pictures Advertising Information The Mineral sphalerite Sphalerite is a common mineral, and occurs in many distinct colors and forms. Iron impurities are often present in this mineral, and for this reason it is not commonly transparent. If Sphalerite contains a large amount of iron impurities, it will have a metallic dark gray or black color, which is typical of most sulfide minerals. Sphalerite is one of the few minerals that can range from gemmy transparent crystals to dark, metallic -black crystals.

An interesting variety of Sphalerite is known as Schalenblende. Schalenblende is banded variety associated with Wurtzite and often also Pyrite and Galena that forms strange concentric shapes. It is often polished into slab s or cross-sections which are very popular with collectors. Schalenblende is known from a select few mineral in Europe, most notable is the Segen Gottes Mine, Wiesloch, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. USES Sphalerite is the principle ore of zinc. In some localities, it occurs with significant amounts of the rare element s cadmium, gallium, and iridium, and it is also the main ore of those metal s. Sphalerite is an important mineral to collectors, and some transparent varieties are occasionally faceted for collectors. NOTEWORTHY LOCALITIES Sphalerite is a common mineral, and there are many localities where fine specimens have come from.

Notable European occurrences include the Troya Mine, Mutiloa and the Aliva Mine (Las Manforas), Camaleño, Spain; Alston Moor, Cumberland, England; and the Lengenbach Quarry, Binn Tal, Wallis, Switzerland. Other classic European localities are Trepca, Croatia (former Yugoslavia); the Madan ore field, Rhodope Mts, Bulgaria; the Herja Mine, Baia Mare; and the Turt Mine, Satu Mare; and Kapnick, all in Maramures Co., Romania. Banded Schalenblende has come from the Segen Gottes Mine, Wiesloch, Baden-Württemberg, Germany; the Schmalgraf Mine, Kelmis, Belgium; and Olkusz, Poland. China has recently become a significant producer of Sphalerite specimens, most notably at Kangjiawan, Shuikoushan ore field, Hunan Province; the Taolin Mine, Yueyang, Hunan Province; and Nandan, Guangxi Province. In Peru, excellent Sphalerite comes from the Huaron Mines, Cerro de Pasco.

In Mexico, large iron-rich, crystals associated with Galena were found in Santa Eulalia and Naica, Chihuahua, Mexico. In Canada, good specimens have recently come from the rock dump of the hydroelectric station canal at Niagara Falls, Ontario. Good examples also come from the Lafarge Quarry, Dundas, Ontario, and Mont Saint Hilaire, Quebec. In the U.S., some of the finest specimens come from the tri-state mining district of Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma. These areas include the Joplin area, Jasper Co., Missouri; Treece, Galena, and Baxter Springs, Cherokee Co., Kansas; and Picher, Ottawa Co., Oklahoma. Two other notable Midwestern regions are the Elmwood and Gordonsville Mines, Carthage, Smith Co., Tennessee; and the Denton mine and Cave-in-Rock, Hardin Co., Illinois. In Colorado, fine Sphalerite has come from the Commodore and Bachelor Mines, Creede District, Mineral Co; and the Eagle Mine, Gilman, Eagle Co. Dark green crystals come from the Iron Cap Mine in Graham Co., Arizona. New York State has some noteworthy occurrences, especially Balmat and Pierrepont, St.

Lawrence Co., the Redlands Quarry, Niagara Falls, Niagara Co.; and the Walworth Quarry, Wayne Co. Many specimens also have come from Franklin and Ogdensburg, Sussex Co., New Jersey. DF2014:Sphalerite - Dwarf Fortress Wiki DF v0.42 information Saves from v0.40.24 are compatible with v0.42.06! We will not be migrating to a new namespace, although the current "DF2014" namespace may be renamed to "v0.42" in the near future. Please mark all v0.42-specific articles/sections with {{ new in v0.42 }}. For short v0.42-specific information, you can use {{ version |0.42.01}}. Updated 14:38, 30 December 2015 (UTC). This notice may be cached—the current version can be found here .

DF2014:Sphalerite Found in metamorphic layers as veins Properties xTATTEREDx · +FINE+ · *SUPERIOR* · ≡EXCEPTIONAL≡ · ☼MASTERWORK☼ Crystallized, lustrous, black sphalerite crystals with red highlights, are the host for two discrete rosettes of light tan baryte, to 3.25 cm across along with a single, glassy and gemmy, lavender colored fluorite crystal. Sphalerite is the only ore of zinc , and can also be used as an ingredient in the smelting of brass . In the game, sphalerite is found as veins in metamorphic layers . Interestingly, dwarves can smelt sphalerite into zinc while the stone itself does not melt, but sublimates (going from solid to gas without melting). Wisconsin Geological & Natural History Survey » Sphalerite Sphalerite vein in Dolostone in Grant County, Wisconsin. (Photo by W. Cordua.) Banded sphalerite, near Hazel Green in Lafayette County, Wisconsin. Sample is about 1 cm long.

Formula: ZnS Isometric Description: Sphalerite occurs in a wide range of hydrothermal environments. It is common with chalcopyrite in exhalative massive sulfide bodies associated with volcanic rocks, such as those deposits near Rhinelander and Crandon. It is abundant in low temperature hydrothermal deposited widely known as Mississippi Valley type deposits, such as is found in the southwestern portion of Wisconsin. The deposits in the southwestern part of Wisconsin are internationally known and studied as part of what is called the Upper Mississippi Valley zinc-lead district. The district extends into adjacent Iowa and Illinois (Heyl and others, 1959). The deposits are dominantly in Ordovician carbonate rocks forming gash veins, replacement bodies, sloping pitches and flats along bedding planes. Gentle but persistent folds, small displacement faults and solution features appear to localize many of the deposits. The mineralogy of the deposits is simple, consisting generally of sphalerite with galena, marcasite, pyrite, barite, calcite and dolomite. The sphalerite readily alters to smithsonite, which forms large deposits in the oxidized zone above the sulfide masses.

All of the sphalerite deposits listed below are likely places to find any of the other associated minerals. An excellent detailed description of the district is given by Heyl and others (1959). Sphalerite has been produced from this district since the 1860’s. Prior to that, galena and smithsonite were the dominant minerals produced. Hundreds of mines producing sphalerite are known. All of the mines are currently inactive and most are inaccessible or difficult to find because they have been overgrown, collapsed, filled-in or leveled. Many of the dumps have been removed for road metal. Still, scattered piles of waste rock persist throughout Grant, Iowa and Lafayette Counties, providing some interesting mineral collecting as well as testimony to the extent and importance of mining in the region. Common habits of sphalerite found in the zinc-lead district (Heyl and others, 1959) are large to drusy crystals, replacement masses of surrounding carbonate rocks, and stalactitic masses. Common colors are red-brown to dark brown. Black varieties often bear manganese. Rarer colors of sphalerite noted are red, yellow, grayish blue and deep purple.

“Strawberry jack” refers to sphalerite forming rounded masses or impregnations in shale, often forcing aside shale bedding planes. Hobbs (1895) described the crystallography of crystals collected in the district. Crystals found in a vug within an orthoceras fossil were over 1 cm across, twinned on {111} and showed the following forms: {111} {113} {311} {110} {Okl} {hkl}. Sphalerite is often coated with masses and globules of smithsonite. Partial to complete pseudomorphs of smithsonite after sphalerite are widespread. Heyl and others (1959) suggest that the sphalerite may be intergrown with and pseudomorphous after wurtzite. Some sphalerite is found in delicately banded veins featuring gently botryoidal surfaces composed of the tips of small radiating crystals. The bands vary in color from nearly clear through yellowish and reddish brown to nearly black. The crystals are elongated and extend across the composition bands. They are commonly intergrown with marcasite and galena.

McLimans and others (1980) working with sphalerite from the Shullsburg area correlated the delicate sequence of banding over hundreds of meters within ore bodies and, occasionally, through several kilometers within the district. The writers demonstrated that the light and dark coloration were related to FeS impurities that the earlier sphalerite tended to contain more FeS than later generations. Only a few of the more typical, unusual or important sphalerite occurrences in the state are described below. COLUMBIA COUNTY: Sphalerite found in mines and at the County K Quarry associated with galena and marcasite in Sec. 22 T.10N. R.12E. near Columbus (Heyl and West, 1982). DANE COUNTY: Sphalerite is associated with galena in the Platteville Formation at an old mine 1.5 km east of Fitchberg in Sec. 29 T.6N. R.9E. (Heyl and West, 1982). —Sphalerite is associated with galena in quarries in the Platteville formation near Verona (Heyl and West, 1982).

DODGE COUNTY: Sphalerite was found with galena and calcite in vugs in the Galena Formation in the SE Sec. 20 T.9N. R.15E. near Emmet, north of Watertown (Chamberlin, 1877). EAU CLAIRE COUNTY: Sphalerite was reportedly found with pyrite, marcasite, chalcopyrite and dolomite from Eau Claire, Wisconsin (Hobbs, 1905). FOND DU LAC COUNTY: Sphalerite occurs in masses with pyrite in the Reedstown Member of the St. Peter Sandstone exposed in the Fairwater Quarry SW NE Sec. 36 T15N R13E, SW of Ripon (UW–Oshkosh, 1994). FOREST COUNTY: Sphalerite is a major ore mineral at the Crandon deposit.

It is found as grains less than 2 mm across, intergrown with chalcopyrite and pyrite in the massive sulfide zone and, less commonly, in the veins of the stringer zone (May and Schmidt, 1982; Lambe and Rowe, 1989). GRANT COUNTY: This county is in the heart of the Upper Mississippi Valley zinc-lead district, and as such contains dozens of old mines in which sphalerite occurs. The deposits listed for the county under galena and smithsonite are also sphalerite localities. Calcite, dolomite, marcasite and barite are also found at most, if not all, of these deposits. Only a few of the most important or distinctive localities will be mentioned here. —Sphalerite is found at the Bridgeport quarry on the north side of Hwy 18 (SW Sec. 20 T6N R5W) where it is associated with galena, pink dolomite, iron sulfides, malachite and celadonite (Heyl and West, 1982).

—Sphalerite was found at a number of mines in the Potosi-Tennyson region including the Wilson Mine, Old Trego Mine, and the Tiffany Mine, all in the SW NW Sec. 36 T.3N. R.3W. (Apell, 1947). Sphalerite is also noted at the Piquette #2 (Heyl, 1964) and the Pleumer level (Heyl, et al., 1959) in the NE 1/4 of this same section. —Sphalerite was abundant throughout the Platteville subdistrict (Heyl and others, 1959; Agnew, 1963, Whitlow and West, 1966a) where over 36 mines are known. The mines are dominantly along what was known as the “Blockhouse Range” which extended from the S 1/2 Sec. 26 T.3N. R.1W. to the NE Sec. 36 T.3N. R.2W. and was described by Heyl and others (1959), as “a nearly continuous ore body”.

The main sphalerite ore was generally rosin colored with a range from pale yellow to deep brown. Fine sphalerite crystals are reported from the Rasque mine (NW Sec. 36 T.3N. R.1W.). Other major mines in T.3N. R.1W. are: the Old Blockhouse Mine (S 1/2 SE Sec. 27), the New Blockhouse Mines (SW Sec. 27), the Klar-Piquette Mine (S 1/2 SW Sec. 29), the Graham and Stephens Mines (E 1/2 Sec. 18), the Empire and Enterprise Mines (NE Sec. 15) and the Trego Mine (NW Sec. 11) (Heyl and others, 1959). —Pale yellow sphalerite masses with abundant pyrite, marcasite and platy white barite crystals occur at the Beetown Mine, E quarter corner of Sec. 29 T4N R4W (Heyl and others, 1959). —Sphalerite is found as pale yellow crystals at the Beloit-Elmo Mine in the Big Patch subdistrict, SE SW Sec.

2 T2N R1W (Heyl and others, 1959). —Sphalerite is abundant at the Hazel Green Mine (Sec. 24 T1N R1W) where an ore cave 100 feet long and up to 20 feet wide was lined with sphalerite crystals, plus marcasite and galena. Fallen blocks in the cave were crusted over with sphalerite to a thickness of 3 inches (Bain, 1907). Grant (1905) describes large sphalerite stalactites with cores of marcasite and a yellow to black to yellow internal zoning from the New Deal Mine near Hazel Green. Sphalerite was also common at the Bluebird Mine (NE SE sec. 8 T.1N. R.1W).and the Fairplay Mine (SE sec. 26 T.1N. R.2W.) (Whitlow and West, 1966a). —Sphalerite with smithsonite, galena, pyrite, marcasite and calcite are found in old mines and pits of the Grab Diggings in SW sec. 19 and NW NW sec.

30 T.4N. R.2W. on both sides of McPherson Branch of the Platte River, west of Ellenboro (West and Blacet, 1971). —Numerous sphalerite mines occur in the Hurricaine Quadrangle (T.4N. R.4W.) where the sphalerite was associated with smithsonite, pyrite, marcasite, galena, malachite and azurite (West and Heyl, 1985). Some mines refereed to by these authors were the Day’s Diggings (SE sec. 15, the Blackjack Mine (NE SE sec. 32),the Beetown Mine (NE sec. 32), and the Yellow Jacket Mine (NE NW sec. 33). —Sphalerite was mined from small pits where it was found with galena and smithsonite in NE NE sec. 16 T.3N. R.2W. (Whitlow and West, 1966b). —Sphalerite was mined at the Lafollette Mine, NE NW Sec. 3 T.4N. R.1W (Taylor, 1964).

—Sphalerite occurs at the Washburn Mine, SW SE SE Sec. 34 T.5N. R1W (Taylor, 1964). IOWA COUNTY: Iowa County is part of the Upper Mississippi Valley zinc-lead district and thus sphalerite is abundant at numerous old mine sites within the county. A number of the mines listed for Iowa County under galena and smithsonite are also sphalerite localities. Usually marcasite, pyrite, barite, calcite and dolomite are associated. —A number of mines producing sphalerite were located near Mifflin in T5N R1E. These included the Ebenezer Mine (SW SW Sec. 30), the New Dale Rundell (SE NE Sec. 31), the Coker #1 (SE Sec. 30), the Coker #2 (SW Sec. 29), the Coker #3 (SE Sec. 29), the Senator Mine (SW SW Sec. 28), the Penitentiary Mine (NW NE Sec. 34) and the Old Slack Mine (SE SW Sec. 26 T.5N.

R.1E.) (Taylor, 1964). Sphalerite is common in drill core from the Defense property in the SE sec. 28 T5N R1E (Lincoln, 1946). —At least 60 old mines that produced sphalerite are found in the Mineral Point-Linden-Dodgeville subdistrict (Heyl and others, 1959). These include the Merry Christmas Mine (SW SW Sec. 32 T.5N. R.3E.), the Gilman Mine (just N of center, Sec. 16 T.5N. R.2E.), the Rajah Mine featuring large rosin colored sphalerite crystals (SW SW Sec. 4 T.5N. R.2E.) and the Mason Mine (S 1/2 Sec. 8 T.5N. R.2E.). —Numerous old mines in the Cobb-Highland region were mined for sphalerite. These include the O.P. David Mine (S 1/2 Sec. 30 T.6N. R.1E.), the Kroll Mine (NW Sec. 5 T.6N.

R.1E.) and the Highland Mine (E 1/2 Sec. 28 T.7N. R.1E.) (Heyl and others, 1959). —Sphalerite was found at the Eberle Mine, 5 mines north of Cobb (NW NW Sec. 2 T.6N. R.1E. with copper minerals and a complex suite of secondary minerals including smithsonite and aurichalcite (Heyl and others, 1959). —Sphalerite was found at the Steppler Farm, 4 miles south of Highland (SE NE Sec. 7 T.6N. R.1E. where it is associated with chalcopyrite and a complex suite of secondary minerals (Heyl and others, 1959). —Sphalerite was found in the Demby Weist mines in fissure veins with galena cutting lower Ordovician carbonates and Upper Cambrian sandstones in the NW Sec. 28 and adjacent Sec. 17, 21 and 29 T 7N. R.4E.near Hyde (Heyl and West, 1982).

JEFFERSON COUNTY: Small sphalerite crystals with calcite, pyrite, and marcasite occur in vugs in the Galena Formation in the Hausz Brothers quarry, Sec. 11 T.5N. R.14E. near the intersection of Hwy 12 and County M, south of Fort Atkinson (UW-Whitewater, 1980). LAFAYETTE COUNTY: Lafayette County is in the heart of the Upper Mississippi Valley zinc-lead district and as such contains numerous sites where sphalerite was mined. Many of the localities listed for this county under galena and smithsonite are also sphalerite localities. Marcasite, pyrite, calcite, barite and dolomite are frequently associated minerals. —Sphalerite is a major ore at Etna Hill, 3 miles east of Benton (Wheeler, 1908).

—Sphalerite is abundant in the Meeker’s Grove subdistrict (T2N R1E) where it is found at over 26 mines (Grant, 1903; Heyl, et al., 1959; Klemic and West, 1964). Some of the major mines are the Big Dick (SW NW Sec. 15) the Connecting Link #1 (E 1/2 SE Sec. 16), the Liberty Mine (NE Sec. 16),the Raisbeck Mine (S 1/2 Sec. 21), and the Trego-Anthony Mine (N 1/2 SE 1/4 Sec. 21). —Sphalerite was extremely abundant in the Hazel Green-Shullsburg subdistrict, in which Heyl, et al. (1959) list 125 mines. The last mine in the district to operate was the Bear Hole Mine near Shullsburg (NE SW sec. 22 T.1N. R.2E.) which closed in 1978. The mill at Shullsburg closed about 1 year later.

Some sphalerite, calcite, marcasite and other minerals can still be found on the dump piles. —Most of the mines were in T1N R1E near Benton and New Diggings. These include the Swift and Rooney Mine (SE SE Sec. 10), the old Cottingham Mine with unusual light yellow sphalerite (SW NE Sec. 13), the Hoskins Mine (S 1/2 Sec. 13), the Jug Handle Mine with coarse sphalerite and calcite crystals (NW NE Sec. 13), the Strawberry Blonde Mine (SW SE Sec. 21), the Blackstone Mine (SE NE Sec. 26), the American Zinc Mine (SE Sec. 27), the Fox Mine (SW SW Sec. 21), the Kennedy Mine with its stalactitic sphalerite (SW Sec. 29 ) and the Badger Mine (N 1/2 NE Sec. 30) (Heyl and others, 1959). Many additional mines were in T1N R2E near Shullsburg. These include the James Mine (SW Sec. 9), the Old Winskell (SW NE Sec.

19), the Calumet and Hecla Mine (Sec. 22), the Blackstone Mine (NW SE Sec. 28) and the Thompson Mine (SE NW and SW NE Sec. 32) (Heyl and others, 1959). Also in this subdistrict north of Shullsburg in T.2N R.2E are several important mines. These include the Paquette Mine with vugs with unusually large spherical masses of sphalerite (SE SW Sec. 32) and the Rodham Mine (N 1/2 N 1/2 Sec. 25) (Heyl and others, 1959). —Sphalerite and galena crystals occur in Silurian dolomite at Belmont Mount (SE NE NE 1/4 Sec. 3 T.3N. R.1E.) (WGNHS outcrop description). MANITOWOC COUNTY: Sphalerite is found with calcite in a quarry in dolostone on Hwy. 151 at Valders (Wis. Geol. Nat. Hist. Survey Files).

MARATHON COUNTY: Sphalerite occurs as small blackish crystals and masses in quartz from the pegmatites of the Nine Mile pluton (Falster, 1987). such as exposed in the “rotten granite” quarries south of Rib Mt. —Sphalerite is associated with galena, pyrite, quartz, calcite and chalcopyrite in brecciated volcanic rocks in the center of sec. 7 T.29N. R.7E. An old shaft has been sunk at this site. (LaBerge and Myers, 1983). MILWAUKEE COUNTY: Sphalerite occur in vugs with millerite, marcasite and calcite in limestones near the Washington Street Bridge at Estabrook Park. The sphalerite crystals are up to 3 cm in diameter, brown to black in color and frequently twinned. (Bagrowski, 1940). — Sphalerite crystals occur in limestones in Granville Township at Brown Deer. (Chamberlin, 1877).

—Sphalerite crystals occur in rocks along the lake shore at Whitefish Bay (Chamberlin, 1877). ONEIDA COUNTY: Sphalerite is a major ore mineral in the massive sulfide deposit on the Pelican River east of Rhinelander (Sec. 29 T36N R9E). It is most abundant intergrown with pyrite and chalcopyrite in the lower zone of the ore body (Mudrey, 1979). —Sphalerite is the most abundant sulfide at the Lynn Deposit with galena, pyrrhotite, pyrite and silver and gold bearing minerals (Kennedy and others, 1991). PRICE COUNTY: Sphalerite is a component of the massive sulfide ore at the Ritchie Creek deposit. (DeMatties, 1990). RACINE COUNTY: Massive, banded to botryoidal sphalerite occurs in vugs in limestone at the Vulcan Materials (Ives) Quarry, Racine. Associated minerals are pyrite, chalcopyrite and large phantom calcite xls. (Scovil, 1994).

ROCK COUNTY: Sphalerite is found associated with galena and marcasite in a quarry and drill core 1.5 km SE of Avon in Sec. 16 T1N R10E (West and Heyl, 1982). RUSK COUNTY: Sphalerite is a component of the massive sulfide ore at the Flambeau deposit near Ladysmith. The sphalerite tends to be more common toward the footwall portion of the deposit. The sphalerite is intergrown with pyrite and is often banded ranging from dark brown to honey brown in color. some dark brown euhedral sphalerite xls were found in a vuggy carbonate zone, with dolomite, siderite and other sulfides (May, 1977; Rosemeyer, 1995, 1996). —Sphalerite occurs intergrown with pyrite and other sulfides in the Eisenbrey massive sulfide deposit, north of Ladysmith (NW sec. 17 T.35N. R.6W.) (May, 1996).

WAUPACA COUNTY: Sphalerite occurs in road cuts in pegmatite cutting granite along County G near Keller Lake, NE of Big Falls. Associated minerals include euxenite-(Y), biotite, fluorite, K feldspar, bastnaesite group minerals, allanite and various sulfides. (Tom Buchholz, 2002, pers. com.) WINNEBAGO COUNTY: Sphalerite is found in vugs in the Plattevile Formation with galena, marcasite, pyrite, calcite, cerussite and other minerals at the Lutz Quarry in the western portion of Oshkosh on Hwy 44 in T18N R16W (USGS, 1976). —Sphalerite is found as crystals in geodes with calcite and pyrite near Menasha (SE sec. 18 T.20N. R.17E.) (Chamberlin, 1877). —Sphalerite occurs rarely in vugs with calcite at the Grundy Quarry, (NE NW NE sec. 33 T.19N. R.16E).

(UW–Oshkosh, 1989). —Sphalerite occurs as cleavable masses in a breccia cement in the Tullar road quarry, in Neenah. (Carl Cochrane, pers. com.). WOOD COUNTY: Sphalerite occurs as euhedral crystals in quartz veins in the Tork and Haessley quarries near Wisconsin Rapids. The material fluoresces a pale yellow under shortwave ultraviolet light. (Buchholz, 1996). —Sphalerite occurs as rare dark gray to black xls, in vugs at the Frederich Schill Quarry, NE of Vesper on the E side of Hwy 180. (Buchholz, 1999). —Sphalerite occurs yellow-brown masses in miarolitic cavities in granite at the Haske Quarry, sec. 25, T24N R2E. (Buchholz and others, 1998.).

Social Share Turkish Minerals ABOUT IMIB MINING IN TURKEY TURKISH MINING COMPANIES STATISTICS NEWS&EVENTS CONTACT US ZINC ORES AND CONCENTRATES Zinc is the 23rd most abundant element in the earth's crust. Sphalerite, zinc sulfide, is and has been the principal ore mineral in the world. Zinc is necessary to modern living, and, in tonnage produced, stands fourth among all metals in world production - being exceeded only by iron, aluminum, and copper. Zinc uses range from metal products to rubber and medicines. About three-fourths of zinc used is consumed as metal, mainly as a coating to protect iron and steel from corrosion (galvanized metal), as alloying metal to make bronze and brass, as zinc-based die casting alloy, and as rolled zinc. The remaining one-fourth is consumed as zinc compounds mainly by the rubber, chemical, paint, and agricultural industries. Zinc is also a necessary element for proper growth and development of humans, animals, and plants; it is the second most common trace metal, after iron, naturally found in the human body.

SPHALERITE Sphalerite ((Zn,Fe)S) is a mineral that is the chief ore of zinc. It consists largely of zinc sulfide in crystalline form but almost always contains variable iron. When iron content is high it is an opaque black variety, marmatite. It is usually found in association with galena, pyrite, and other sulfides along with calcite, dolomite, and fluorite. Miners have also been known to refer to sphalerite as zinc blende and black-jack. COMPANIES Metallic Minerals | Natural Resources Metallic Minerals Metallic Minerals Newfoundland and Labrador has a varied selection of metallic minerals. The following is a small representation of this selection. They depict the quality of collectible metallic minerals available in Newfoundland and Labrador. All photographs by James Butler. The small images are linked to full sized photographs with more detail, but will take some time to load. Chalcopyrite Chalcopyrite (CuFeS2), a copper-iron sulphide, is the most widespread copper mineral, and one of the most important sources of that metal. The specimen shown in the photo is chalcopyrite owned by Mort Verbiski. It is from the Buchans area.

Chalcopyrite is formed under a great variety of conditions. Most sulphide ore deposits contain some chalcopyrite. It is associated with other minerals such as sphalerite, galena, cassiterite and pyrite. Numerous showings of chalcopyrite have been recorded from Newfoundland and Labrador. It was mined at several places on the Baie Verte Peninsula (Tilt Cove, Rambler) and in the Springdale area (Whalesback, Gullbridge) as well as a by-product of the mine at Buchans. Numerous showings have been recorded on the island as well as in Labrador. Gold Gold (Au) is a precious metal used in jewelry. It has many industrial and medical applications. The photo on the left contains a specimen of gold in quartz vein is from an unknown location in Newfoundland. This sample is owned by the Provincial Museum. The photo in the middle and on the right show two specimens of gold from the Baie Verte Peninsula. Samples were provided by Brian Dalton and Paul Crocker. Gold generally occurs in a native state, i.e., it only rarely forms compounds with other minerals such as tellurium.

Most gold is commonly found in quartz veins in association with pyrite and other sulphides. Visible gold is rare and most gold is detected by chemical analysis. In Newfoundland, gold is produced by Anaconda Mining Inc. and Rambler Metals and Mining Canada from their operations on the Baie Verte Peninsula. Hematite Hematite (Fe2O3) is an iron oxide and it is the most important and widely used source mineral for iron. Good quality specimens are also used as a semi-precious gemstone, Alaska Black Diamond. The photograph shows micaeous hematite from Wabush, Labrador. It is from the MUN Collection, sample 0241. Hematite is frequently found as an accessory in igneous rocks and may be associated with magnetite in special circumstances. Some huge deposits of hematite are of sedimentary origin. Newfoundland has been a major supplier of iron to the world markets for a long time. From about 1895 until the mines closed in the early 1960's sedimentary iron ore was mined on Bell Island.

Today, all iron production in the province is from the metamorphosed deposits in the Labrador Trough, centered in the towns of Wabush-Labrador City. Molybdenite Molybdenite (MoS2), commonly called "Moly", is a molybdenum sulphide that is the principal source of molybdenum. The sample shown is from a granite body in the Bay d'Espoir area of southern Newfoundland. It is from the Steven V. Papezik Collection, MUN. Molybdenite is the most common molybdenum mineral and is found as an accessory in some granites. It also occurs with other mineralization, such as scheelite, wolframite, topaz, copper and fluorite. Molybdenum has many applications as a special steel alloy. Although not mined in Newfoundland and Labrador, molybdenite is associated with the Rencontre Lake area of the Ackley Granite of southern Newfoundland. Native Copper Native copper (Cu) is the naturally occurring elemental form of copper. Copper was one of the first metals used by man. It has many uses and in the home water pipes and electrical wires are made from copper.

The photograph shows a typical sample of native copper. This sample is owned by the Provincial Museum. Native copper is most commonly associated with basic extrusive igneous rocks, particularly in the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan in the United States. Native copper is also common in the Bay of Fundy region of Nova Scotia. It is usually associated with other copper-bearing minerals such as chalcocite and bornite. Most occurrences of native copper in our province are found in the Seal Lake area of central Labrador. Pyrite Pyrite (FeS2) is an iron sulphide that commonly has a pronounced cubic structure with striated surfaces. It is found in almost any type of geological environment. Sometimes it is mistaken for gold, because of its yellow colour, hence the name "Fool's Gold".. The pyrite in the photo on the left show the typical cubic structure of the mineral. The samples are from Catalina, Trinity Bay, and are owned by Loretta Crisby-Whittle. The sample on the right is part of the host mineral for the gold deposits at Royal Oak Mines, Hope Brook. Pyrite is by far the most common and widespread sulphide mineral. It is found in almost any geological environment.

It is rarely of economic importance itself, but its presence calls attention to areas that may contain important economic minerals. Sphalerite Sphalerite (Zn,FeS) is a zinc sulphide that supplies the bulk of the world's supply of zinc. This sample of sphalerite (brown mineral) is from Daniel's Harbour, Great Northern Peninsula. It is owned by the Provincial Museum. Sphalerite is usually found in association with galena in the most important deposits of these metals. It can also be associated with chalcopyrite, pyrite, pyrrhotite and magnetite. The world's annual production of cadmium is obtained as a by-product of the zinc smelting process. In Newfoundland, sphalerite has been mined at a number of locations, including Buchans, in association with galena and chalcopyrite, and at Daniel's Harbour, on the Great Northern Peninsula, which was a "Mississippi Valley-type" deposit and had cadmium as a by-product.

Question: Sphalerite is an ore of which metal?
Answer: ZINC